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13 Sep 2004, 12:13

There are many in India- who come and ask me. I dont have the resources to finance an MBA...should i pursue a PhD??

My sinceremost comment is that UNLEss one is predominantly considering an academic career, PhD is a strict no no.
PhD is meant for a career in academics, UNLESS one is pursuing a PhD in a very techy kind of stuff.

A PhD in biotechnology, Chemistry or physics would surely find his way into the research labs of the fortune 500 company.
A PhD in hardcore quantitative methods and/or OR techniques would perhaps find his way in an I-Bank or a Supply Chain lab of the top-notch fortune 500 firms respectively.

But if you are PhD in say Information system, in say Marketing, in say HR or OB...believe me even if you land up with corporate jobs climbing up the ladder wont be easy and even getting a clearly defined role for you is going to be tough.
So - if one wants to pursue a PhD to get into business - please check whether the industry needs the specialization you are going to pursue. Try to join a school where the specific aspect you are going to pursue has known faculties in that area and finally the school has top-notch placements in your area of interest.

Else if one wants a flexible and peaceful life...academics is the way to go!
_________________

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14 Sep 2004, 01:43

Good points.

The first question we ask is , what kind of career will make me happy? what is it that i would love to work on ? if you feel good about what you do, its really and truly the best feeling in the world. Reward yourself with a happy life.

so, a reality check is in order, isnt it... So the second question you ask is, do i have the tools , the preparation, the motivation and the determination to go get what makes me happy ? Nothing in industry or in academia is given on a platter... if you are good at something, work, recognition, money will find you. else it will a pain no matter what you choose to do... so the second thing is... try to be the best at what you do.

The final question you ask is, what kind of life do i need? a Phd offers flexibility, but it is demanding... can you see yourself doing research and teaching or consulting for the rest of your life? if you took more than 5 seconds to answer this, you are not ready for a research career. A Ph.D student KNOWS the challenge extremely well.

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08 Oct 2004, 02:20

Wow... well said Praet.

Yes Phd is for academic life, although some people do go into consultancy (these are frowned upon by academicians -But it does not mean it is bad, just that academia seems to look down upon practitioner world). Anyway, PhD is long and hard and therefore one needs to think long and hard before one gets into it !